i revel in the mysteries and idiosyncrasies of human behavior, hence, my profession. my latest musing is one that i find perplexing:
i heavily rely upon reviews and ratings for, well, everything in my life from toddler toothpaste to sushi bars to ipad applications to soy milk. it is paralyzing.
the catch? i’ve never reviewed anything in my entire life. ever. and so i wonder, with whom am i placing my trust for choosing the best chai tea latte kcup or the best-reviewed jazz bar or the world’s most tasty crabcake? i wonder…
the banks family top-5 review portals:
1. amazon.com
where we relied upon the ratings of 1,459 people to tell us this protective cover for our iphones will ensure a shatter-free screen when our 15 month old daughter pitches it across the floor when her animal app doesn’t immediately load
2. tripadvisor.com
where we, almost 5 years ago, booked a honeymoon in this #2-ranked estate in st. john, usvi. (only because 126 people reviewed it with an average rating of 4.5/5.0 stars).
This photo of Estate Lindholm is courtesy of TripAdvisor
3. google reviews
on our most recent vehicle purchase(s), we relied upon the reviews of others to steer us into a trustworthy car dealership (oxymoron?) and away from cut-throat money launderers. 162 people told us to go to honda of concord was the way to go. so we went.
4. apple.com
with apple products taking over the world, i dare not even waste my time installing an app with less than 4 stars. that’s why i chose the Lose It app (recommended by over 1154 dieters) over the Lose the Belly app (which i still need).
6. netflix.com
with free time at a minimum, anton and i are required to choose media entertainment at a maximum enjoyment level. there’s no time to waste on subpar acting, a poor plot line, or talking animals (a personal movie pet peeve). so we stick to the ones with rave reviews like this television series that we just completed season 5:
7. myrecipes.com
quick – it’s thursday night. 5:30. we’re starving. we’re both on diets. we’re starving. ava’s vying for our attention. what to do? take a panoramic glance of the viable ingredients in the kitchen, go to allrecipes.com and type it into the ingredients finder. out pops chicken tortilla soup, ready in 30, full of protein, and only 187 calories per bowl. oh, and it got a 5-star outstanding rating from 20 hungry folks. dinner was served.
photo courtesy of myrecipes
the list goes on and on. and on. preschools, blu-ray players, organic cleaning products, hair ties, mascara, protein bars, and merlot…..but who is providing the information? and why do we base our day-to-day decisions upon the opinions of others?
goal 1: to review something i love. i’ll keep you updated. 
i dream about dexter morgan on at least a monthly basis, and i stalled at season 3 (not because i didn’t love it… availability in canada was to blame, i think, and i just haven’t gotten back to it.)
try justified next! i think anton would like it